As you know from my previous post and vlog, we accepted the 30 day challenge to use Seventh Generation's Natural 2X Concentrated Laundry Liquid and line dry our clothes. What a challenge it has been, indeed! While washing on cold and using their laundry liquid were easy, we'd already made the switch to cold, planning for the time to air dry them wasn't. It continued to be a challenge the whole time. We never did find a way around it. Find out more about how it went, by clicking on the video below.So while we won't be line drying our clothes full time, we have decided we'd like to begin incorporating it into our routine. I think even a small change, like line drying every third load, will help a lot. I just don't see how I can pull doing a load every day long term. Now if only I could figure out a way to make the clothes that are line dried a little softer.
Here are some more facts I learned about while participating in the Seventh Generation Project Laundry Line. All are encouraging reasons why we should make line drying a regular part of our laundry routine.- 90% of the energy used when washing clothes is used for heating the water.
- Approximately 23.8 billion pounds of clothing and textiles end up in U.S. landfills each year
- The average household can save up to $25 per month off electric bill by line drying.
- Sunlight bleaches and disinfects
- Approximately one quarter of Americans use an ENERGY STAR washer. There are no ENERGY STAR dryers on the market.
- Indoor drying racks can humidify in dry winter weather.
- Seventh Generation 2X Concentrate Liquid Laundry Detergent is specially formulated to remove soil and stains in cold water, and reduces CO2 emissions.
- Getting out of hot water can save you money—as much as $70/year on your energy bill.
- Laundry that's cold water washed and line dried lasts longer, helping to protect the environment and your wallet.
- Cold water washing and line drying helps conserve energy and the environment, while reducing climate change.
- If Americans air dried their clothing for 10 months out of the year, we could avoid 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.
- If every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of 100 ox. 2x ultra petroleum-based liquid laundry detergent with our 100 oz. 2x ultra plant derived product, we could save 466,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 26,800 U.S. holes for a year.
- 60 million Americans live in approximately 300,000 community associations. The majority of these restrict or ban the clothesline.
- You can reduce the full lifecycle climate change impact of your jeans by up to 50 percent by line drying and washing them in cold water.
- Conventional detergents contain polluting surfactants like alkylphenol ethoxylates, or APEs. Natural laundry products use safe, biodegradable ingredients such as vegetable oils.
Giveaway!Win a Seventh Generation “Project Laundry Line” kit that includes Seventh Generation Natural 2x Concentrated Laundry Liquid (good for 66 loads of laundry), portable laundry line, clothes pins, and laundry basket. Just like you saw with me in the video above.
To Enter:
Share with me your memories of line drying {or} tell me what household changes you've made to be more eco-friendly.
Extra Entries:
- Publically follow my blog, using Google Friend's Connect.
- Subscribe to my blog via EMAIL.
- Post my link button.
- Add my blog's Facebook page to your "Likes
- Add Seventh Generation's Facebook page to your "Likes"
- Follow me on Twitter, tweet this giveaway using @KTnestingspot in it
- Follow Seventh Generation on Twitter.
Giveaway open to US residents now through July 8th midnight EST. Good luck and please make sure I have a way to contact you, if you win.
Disclosure: Seventh Generation provided me with the free product, gift pack, and giveaway through MyBlogSpark as well as with a Flip Camera to enable me to make this vlog. This vlog presents my own unbiased opinions and experiences with the product and challenge.
